Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves has apologized for punching teammate Kyle Anderson during his team’s 113-108 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Players and coaches separated the pair after Frenchman Gobert, 30, appeared to hit Anderson in the chest.

His team sent him home early for “unacceptable” behavior.

“Emotions got the best of me,” Gobert admitted.

He added in a tweet: “Regardless of what was said, I should not have reacted the way I did.

“I want to apologize to the fans, the organization, and especially Kyle, who I truly love and respect as a teammate.”

With the win, the Timberwolves moved up to eighth place in the Western Conference, clinching a spot in the play-in tournament and a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for a spot in the play-offs.

Anderson, 29, was asked about the incident after the game and added: “We’d like to win some games. That’s all there is to it. It’s not the first time someone has thrown a punch at me.”

Minnesota’s President of Basketball Operations, Tim Connelly, stated: “Following the incident in the second quarter, we decided to send Rudy Gobert home.

“His bench behavior was unacceptable, and we will continue to handle the situation internally.”